The Beginning
by gijane197702
Summary: As the title suggests, Tonks and Lupin right from the very beginning.
1. Part One

The Beginning  
Gijane  
Rating: PG  
Summary: This little plotbunny hopped into my head and it quickly grew into a monster, making me write it out! Part Two's turning out huge. Should be up soon!  
Disclaimer: Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, and any other of the beloved characters mentioned are from The Magical World of Harry Potter, which belongs to JK Rowling and Associates. I'm just borrowing them to entertain the fans until Book 7.

Many thanks to my shiny new beta, nfwbls. Since both of us are American, there might be a teeny Americanism here or there. But I've been told I'm pretty good, won't call them 'sweaters' or anything!

Part One: First Meeting

Remus Lupin was positive he had been bitten by the love bug the minute that Nymphadora Tonks crashed into him. It was early July at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Lupin had just opened the door to allow Albus Dumbledore and two Aurors in. The female Auror entered first and promptly tripped over the troll's leg umbrella stand, knocking it over. She went headfirst into his…well, below his belt area.

Mrs Black immediately woke up and began to scream at the noise. Lupin snapped out of his shock and gently extracted the stuttering Auror. With Professor Dumbledore's help, he wrestled closed the curtains closed on the shrieking portrait.

Slightly panting while he turned around, Lupin recognized the male Auror as Kingsley Shacklebolt. With a nod to Lupin, Kingsley turned his attention to the stammering woman, who immediately began to blush as well as stammer. Rolling his eyes at her and smiling at Lupin, he then followed a still chuckling Professor Dumbledore down the corridor towards the basement kitchen.

The woman was still stuttering out apologies. Lupin's wicked sense of humour knew how he could use the situation to ease the poor woman's plight. But before he could open his mouth, she managed to stop stammering and apologise first.

"I'm so sorry! I usually introduce myself to a bloke before I go headfirst into his private parts." She stuck a hand out at him, still blushing, but trying not to smile. "Name's Tonks."

His inner Marauder raised its head and immediately recognised a fellow mischief-maker. He took her hand that she meant for him to shake and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. "I do believe, even though we just met, that we are past handshakes," he told her. When she smirked, he knew that he was correct about her and began to laugh.

"Tonks?" Sirius' voice floated down the staircase as he sauntered down them. "Sweet Merlin…you're not Andi's little girl, are you?"

They both turned to watch Sirius descend. "Now there is only one person in this world stupid enough to call Mum 'Andi'. And that would be you, Sirius Black, no?" Tonks said to him as he made the landing. "But, yes, I am 'Andi's little girl'."

"All grown up," Sirius said, hugging her. Lupin's inner wolf was the one that responded this time, jealously, as she hugged Sirius back.

"And an Auror to boot," Sirius had continued, unaware of the conflict warring inside his friend. "The meeting's not for another hour. Let's go upstairs to the drawing room and catch up…Tonks. You have aversion to the name Andi saddled you with I suppose." Sirius paused, and then chuckled, as Tonks rolled her eyes. "I heard you met dear old mum already. Oi, Moony, you coming with?"

Lupin snapped out of imagining the many ways to torture his friend, smiled, and began to follow them up. Entering the study, Tonks turned to them as they settled in their armchairs by the fireplace and said huffily, "I do not have an aversion to my given name, Sirius."

"Do too," he responded. "Don't worry…Tonks, its family tradition you know, the horrid names. Although, I do like mine."

Tonks rolled her eyes again, and then leaned up against the mantelpiece between the two chairs. Lupin sprung up from his chair, offering it to her, but she waved him off with an "I've been behind a desk all day, sitting, no thank you." As he sat back down, she continued, "I suppose I'd then have to admit being related to you, Black."

Lupin's jealous inner wolf instantly relaxed. "How are you two related?" he asked.

"Moony, its Andi's little girl-"

"Perhaps he doesn't recognize the 'Andi', Sirius." Turing to Lupin, Tonks explained, "My mother is Andromeda Tonks, neé Black."

"Your…cousin?" Lupin asked his friend.

"Yeah," Sirius responded. "She's Bellatrix and Narcissa's sister."

"Oh…" It came out sympathetic. Sirius grinned as Tonks giggled.

"Andi was the smart one of the girls, Moony. She got blasted off the family tree when she married a Muggleborn." Sirius waved to the tapestry that was hanging across the room. Tonks went to inspect it. "I hate that thing. We really need to get it down."

Lupin nodded his understanding. "So, you're first cousins."

"First cousins, once removed," Sirius corrected.

"All right then."

With those words, a grin spread across his best friend's face. Lupin knew that Sirius had figured out that he was interested in Tonks. He winced as Sirius opened his mouth to comment, but a loud screech from a few floors above cut him off.

"What the bloody hell was that!" Tonks exclaimed, turning her back on the tapestry.

"Buckbeak," both wizards answered.

"What's a Buckbeak?" she asked, coming back over to the fireplace. She took Sirius' empty chair when he stood, grinning at the cross look he gave her.

"Buckbeak is Sirius' Hippogriff," Lupin told her, smirking at Sirius.

"How the hell did you get a Hippogriff while you've been on the run?" she asked.

"It's a long story; remind me to tell you it one time," he answered as he began to exit the room. "Let me go see what's wrong with him. He just finished eating so I bet Kreacher's harassing him. Moony, entertain Tonks, will you?" With that, Sirius exited the drawing room.

"Moony?" Tonks asked. "And I thought my given name was bad."

"It's a schoolboy nickname," Lupin explained. "I'm taking that Tonks is your surname."

She laughed. "Yeah. My given name is terrible. Never, ever, call me by it."

"What could be so bad? And I bet mine tops it."

"What's yours then? And I bet it is!"

"My given name couldn't be any more ironic," he told her with a sad smile.

"Really…So's mine. Probably worse. Go on then, full name since my darling cousin didn't properly introduce us."

Lupin chucked at her sarcasm. Wondering why he didn't fell the usual telltale fear when he introduced himself to somebody, he told her, "My name is Remus Lupin."

"Bloody hell," Tonks swore.

The inner-Marauder couldn't resist. "'Bloody hell' is your given name? Damn me, that is worse," he joked. Tonks actually snorted her laughter. "But I see you've heard of me."

She blushed. Lupin realized he enjoyed making her blush.

"Well, your name was splashed all over The Daily Prophet."

"Ah, yes. I'm the big bad werewolf," he said almost lazily.

"Please!" Tonks replied. "We met only ten minutes ago-"

"When you landed in my crotch," the Marauder in him made Lupin say before he could stop it.

"And I can tell that you would never hurt a fly," Tonks continued on as if he never interrupted. "That bitch hates anyone who doesn't conform. She can't stand me."

"You mean Umbridge? Why would she not like you?"

"Yeah…her. I tick her off whenever I can by morphing in front of her on purpose. Did it just the other day. Scrimgeour and Robards could barely hold their laughter in."

"Morph?" Lupin asked interestedly. Tonks scrunched her nose and instantly her long wavy black hair and grey eyes (he couldn't understand why he didn't see the family resemblance earlier) gave way to short neon pink spikes and sparking cobalt blue eyes.

"You're a Metamorphmagus," he said.

"Wow…very good. No one ever gets it on the first try."

"I bet their mouths are hanging open," he finished.

"Exactly. I passed Concealment and Disguise with no work at all, which was good since I had to work so bloody hard at Stealth and Tracking. Well, the Stealth part of it at least. I'm dead clumsy."

"Really? My crotch hadn't noticed." Lupin bit his tongue. What was his problem tonight? He hoped she wasn't offended.

Tonks burst out laughing. "Oh my God, you're too funny!"

"Who's funny?" Sirius asked as he opened the drawing room door and re-entered the room. "That snot-nose house-elf of mine was harassing poor Beaky. Told him to sod off." He paused to take in a hysterical Tonks and grinning Lupin. "Good job entertaining her, Moony."

"Thanks." Lupin shot him a look that clearly told him to get lost.

He knew Sirius interpreted the look correctly when he said, "Right. Moony, you continue to entertain Tonks while I go play host to the professors in the kitchen."

"Who else is down there besides Dumbledore?" Tonks asked interestedly.

"Snape-"

"That wanker!" she snarled.

"I knew I loved you," Sirius grinned. Tonks beamed at him.

"She's family, you have too," Lupin told him.

"Er, mate, remember my other family members!"

"Ah, yes, of course. Well, both you and Andromeda got blasted off the family tree so you can make your own family."

"Bloody hell, you're brilliant! I have family that I can actually be proud of!" Sirius grinned.

Lupin chuckled as Tonks cheered. "McGonagall's down there as well," he said, turning towards her.

"Holy Merlin, I haven't seen her since I left school! I wonder if she'd remember me."

"How could someone forget you?" Lupin asked, biting his tongue a split-second too late.

Tonks' eyes widened and Sirius covered a laugh with a cough, "You know the whole Metamorphmagus thing," he stumbled on trying to cover himself. "She's the Transfiguration teacher. I bet you were a fascinating-" Lupin snapped his mouth shut. Sirius was turning red from trying not to laugh and, surprisingly, Tonks looked disappointed. He had to explain. "I didn't mean it like that!" he told her, watching Sirius as he quietly left the drawing room again. "I meant-"

"I know what you meant," she interrupted softly.

Lupin felt like an arse. "You're a beautiful woman-" he began, but shut his mouth. Of course she was; she was a Metamorphmagus.

"You're an intelligent man, Remus," Tonks told him. "But I really did understand what you meant."

He flailed around looking for a new subject. "Ah…er…you never told me your given name." Lupin hoped that would distract her.

It did. Tonks smiled and then said, "It's Nymphadora."

"That's a beautiful name," he said sincerely. It was. "How is it ironic?"

"You know what a nymph is?"

"Yes."

"And you know what a Metamorphmagus is," she continued.

"Oh…" Lupin immediately realized where she was going.

"Precisely."

"May I call you Nymphadora?" he asked.

"Not if you want me to respond," she smirked at him.

The Marauder had him burst out laughing. "Well, Nymphadora, I can tell that this is the beginning of a great friendship."

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus!"

"All right, I won't if you insist I don't…Nymphadora."


	2. Part Two

Rating, Summary, and Disclaimer: See Part One

Author's Note: The first subsection is Tonks' first kiss for Lupin, then Lupin's for Tonks. That doesn't make sense, but you'll see.

Part Two: First Kisses

Lupin shared a lot of things with Sirius. But one thing he kept to himself was that he was the fact that he had realized he fancied his best mate's cousin. He was sure that Sirius would approve, but Lupin didn't want to have Sirius constantly taking the mickey out of him. He was positive, that given time, things would work themselves out.

By Halloween, Lupin wasn't so sure. Tonks visited when she could; but between work, her Order duties, and her parents, she wasn't around all that often. Then there was his Order work and full moons keeping them apart as well.

When Tonks did visit, they would all hole up in the drawing room, spending hours talking and, occasionally, drinking. Lupin had not truly been alone with her since their initial meeting. By Mid-November, he was all but ready to give up.

Then Sirius went through the first of his depressed phases; not that Lupin blamed him. Who wouldn't get depressed living in the childhood home you hated twenty-four hours a day, never once leaving it except for the small rear garden? Since Lupin's Order work had him out of the house more often than not, Sirius was all-alone (Kreacher and his mother's portrait didn't count) except when Order members occasionally stopped by.

Unfortunately for Lupin, a miserable Sirius was very hard to live with. He felt he was failing his friend somehow and didn't know what to do. He was at his wit's end when one morning when Tonks unexpectedly stopped by for a visit.

Lupin pounced on her the minute he opened the door. "Oh, thank God you're here!" he exclaimed.

Tonks raised a pink eyebrow at him. "Well, I'm glad to see you as well, Remus."

"Sirius is in a dreadful mood. I can usually handle him when he's…grumpy, but it's really bad today. He's locked himself up in Buckbeak's room and won't come out." Lupin paused for a moment, and then said, "Actually, he's been like this for most of the week."

"Oh bloody hell," Tonks swore as she entered the house. He was prepared for her when she tripped over the troll's leg umbrella stand and caught her arm before she hit the floor. "Nice catch," she muttered.

"Can't have you repeating-"

He was cut off by her laughter. "Our first meeting. Where I-"

"Precisely," he said in a clipped tone.

"You're so funny, Remus."

"I try, Nymphadora."

Tonks scowled at him. In a half-hearted chastising tone, she told him, "I've told you repeatedly not to call me that!" They both chuckled. Sobering, she asked, "Do you want me to go try to talk to Sirius?"

"You can try," Lupin told her. "I'll put tea on. Good luck."

"Thanks," Tonks whispered as she began to climb up the stairs.

Lupin headed down to the kitchen. Pottering around, he had two cups of tea completely made and set on the table before Tonks came downstairs. Looking up, he asked her, "Well, how'd it go?"

Her face told him the answer before she opened her mouth. "I knocked on the door for forever before he finally said something."

"Which was…?"

"'Go away, Moony.'" Lupin shook his head as they sat down at the table. Smiling sadly, Tonks continued on, "I called back 'It's me, Sirius'. He said 'Go away, Tonks.' He paused, and then added, 'I'll be down in a bit.' So, I left him."

"What took you so long to return?"

"I ran into Kreacher."

Lupin rolled his eyes. "Bet he had some nice things to say."

"'Half-blood freak of nature'. Er…'mutant'. You know, along those lines," she told him, grinning. "Just because I'm the only Metamorphmagus in the British Isles!"

"Are you really?" Lupin said interestingly.

Tonks nodded then took a sip of tea. "Oh, Remus," she groaned. "You make the best tea. This is perfect."

His mouth went dry when she had moaned his name. The wolf raised its head, sniffing the air hopefully. The Marauder had him impishly reply, "What do I get for it?"

Tonks chuckled as she leaned closer. "What would you like?" she whispered huskily.

The wolf practically howled his delight. Cocking an eyebrow, unable to resist her challenge, he grinned, and then tapped his cheek. Tonks smiled and leaned closer. Lupin stopped breathing. He closed his eyes as she got even closer.

"Moony!"

Snapping his eyes open, Lupin turned his head towards Sirius' voice coming from the doorway. At the same time, Tonks made contact. She got his lips and not his cheek.

Much to his surprise, she didn't pull away right away. When she did, she began to stutter out apologises, but, at the same time, she was looking shyly up at him through her pink eyelashes. Sirius was laughing his hysterically at the door.

Lupin had no idea what to do. At that precise moment, he realized was head over heels in love.

Lupin had only seen Tonks twice since she accidentally kissed him and both times were Order related. Christmas holidays were beginning in a few days and he and Sirius had decided to split Harry's gift. Since Sirius couldn't go waltzing through Diagon Alley, he would pay and Lupin would do the shopping.

He originally gone to Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, but the professor in him won out over the Marauder. Lupin couldn't quite bring himself to buy Harry anything from that shop, so he quickly departed.

Next, he found himself standing in the middle of Quality Quidditch Supplies. But since he had never actually played the sport, having only been a spectator cheering on James, he wasn't sure what to purchase, so he left.

Lupin finally found himself in the centre of Flourish and Blotts being jostled about by other last minute shoppers. Frowning to himself as he looked around, wondering what to buy, the perfect idea suddenly came to him. Shouldering his way towards the back where the Defence Against the Dark Arts books were shelved, he located what he was looking for.

Walking up to the counter, he was pleased that he bought a useful gift for Harry. Paying for the books and waiting for them to be wrapped, Lupin saw Tonks entering the bookstore. She spotted him, waved slightly, nodded her head towards the door, and left the shop. He understood.

Thanking the clerk, he made his way outside. Tonks was nowhere in sight. Lupin scanned the alleyway in both directions, his brow creased. He finally caught sight of a head of pink hair entering The Leaky Cauldron and hurriedly went to catch up with her.

Tom, the barkeep, greeted him warmly. Lupin raised a hand in greeting but continued on. Tonks had just left the pub and had entered into the Muggle world.

Gaining Charing Cross Road, he saw Tonks enter the record shop next door. She was in the back with the actual records when he finally caught up to her.

"My dad has the most fantastic album collection of Muggle music," she told him by way of greeting. "I wanted to poke in here."

Lupin smiled. "Hello to you too."

She smiled back at him. Nodding at the heavy sack, she asked, "What'd you buy?"

"Harry's Christmas present. The professor in me bought him books."

That earned him a grin. "Do you know Muggle music?" she asked, showing him two albums, Led Zeppelin's _IV _and The Who's _Who's Next._

"All I know is that's rock music. Not sure if they're good or not," Lupin told her honestly.

She wrinkled her nose and he had the strongest urge to kiss it. He was fighting the urge as a Muggle walked by and said, "I'd get the Zeppelin."

"Cheers, mate," Tonks told him, shelving The Who's LP. As the Muggle walked away, she turned to Lupin and said, "Come on, Remus; let me get this for Dad, then you can escort me home."

He followed her to the counter. After completing the sale, Tonks thanked the clerk and they left the store. She turned to him and said, "Since it's not to chilly out, let's walk home. Those aren't too heavy, are they?" Tonks nodded towards Harry's books. He shook his head negatively and she tucked her arm through his.

As they headed up Charing Cross Road towards Tottenham Court Road, Tonks turned to him and said, "We haven't the chance to talk lately."

"No, we haven't," Lupin agreed. "How have you been?"

"I'm knackered. I had the overnight guard shift, and then worked this morning. I had to go shopping today or I'd never get it done. Oh! Look what I got Harry!" She opened her Quality Quidditch Supplies sack and a small, working model of a Firebolt hovered out. "Isn't it fantastic?" she asked, closing her hand around it and guiding back into the sack.

"Auror Tonks you should know better! The Statute of Secrecy and all that," he jokingly chastised. She grinned at him. "Harry will love it since The Toad has his actual Firebolt under lock and key."

"The Toad!" Tonks burst out laughing, causing several Muggles to turn and look at her. "Oh, I have to use that at work one day." She wiped tears of mirth away. "So naughty, Remus. Yet you wouldn't think of it looking at you." Tonks sighed, as it was his turn to laugh. "So, you got Harry books."

"A set of books actually. _Practical Defensive Magic and Its Uses Against the Dark Arts_," Lupin told her. "I used them with my NEWT's students the year I taught. Fantastic books."

"I have a set of those," she told him. "They are fantastic! Harry'll be able to use them with that Defence…club of his."

"Club, my arse," he snorted.

Lupin blushed as Tonks began to howl with laughter again. "Oh, God, I adore spending time with you, Remus. You're hilarious." They took a right onto Euston Road. "We're making great time," she told him.

They took a left onto Pancras Road, and then cut down a side street. "Where are you spending the holidays?" he asked.

"With Mum and Dad," she said in a dreading tone. Suddenly, Tonks announced, "We're here. You want to come up?"

Lupin was torn. The wolf was screaming yes, while the professor was listing all the reasons not to. "I better not," he said in a regretful tone. "I have to be getting back to Sirius. He's been a right bloody ray of sunshine lately."

"Oh," Tonks said in a clearly disappointed tone as she tapped her front door with her wand. "All right then. I'll see you around I guess."

"Of course."

The wolf was howling for action. Not quite realizing he was doing it, Lupin leaned in a placed a kiss on Tonks' lips. She gasped her surprise as her hand flew to her mouth. He stepped back and Disapparated before she could say anything.

But he caught her smile.

Lupin didn't have much time to reflect back on kissing Tonks. When he arrived home, Sirius was screaming at Kreacher, who was enjoying egging on his drunken master. He quickly defused that situation.

The days, once again, sped by. While Lupin was out on another mission, Arthur Weasley was attacked while on guard duty at the Ministry. Walking into the house two days later, the first thing he noticed were all the Christmas decorations lining the corridor. Mrs Black was eerily silent, but that was probably due to her shock over the house-elf heads all wearing Father Christmas hats and beards. He heard the sound of Sirius' voice upstairs as he sang, loudly and off-key. It seemed Sirius was over his depression, probably because he had guests. Not wanting to test his luck with Mrs Black, Lupin silently headed down to the kitchen.

"Welcome back, Moony!" Sirius called to him a few minutes later, entering the kitchen. "How'd the mission go?"

Arching an amused eyebrow at his friend's complete change of attitude, Lupin finished making his tea and sat down opposite Sirius at the table. "It went fine. You would have never known the Carrows are Death Eaters. I only knew because Severus told us. Those two are good, but I did see Lucius Malfoy pop by for a visit. I'll have to report that to Dumbledore." He paused as Sirius nodded. "Where is everyone? I saw the decorations."

"Molly has her gang busy; they're making this place fit for the holidays. Hermione is arriving tonight." Sirius' grin faded a bit. "Harry's been hiding in his room for some reason. He won't talk to anyone."

Lupin sighed, and then asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"No idea," muttered Sirius, looking a bit distressed. "Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Molly took the kids to see Arthur yesterday. They're going again Christmas Day if you want to join them."

"I probably will." Lupin wisely refrained from noting the topic change.

"So…how's it going on the Tonks front?" Sirius asked the same time Lupin took a sip of tea, causing him to choke on it. "What? I may have been locked up for twelve years, but I can still tell when you fancy a girl." Lupin shot Sirius a look as he pointed his wand at his robes and muttered _Scourgify_. "I've known you almost twenty-five years! Bloody hell, Moony, give me some credit," Sirius said with a satisfied look on his face.

"Sorry," Lupin muttered.

"Well…?" Sirius prompted.

"It's not going," Lupin said slowly.

"Why ever not? You two have been flirting with each other since you first met!"

"Well, I rarely see her," Lupin began. He paused as Sirius' words sank in. "She hasn't been flirting with me," he said to Sirius.

"Bollocks she hasn't!" Sirius snorted. "She falls on her bloody face every time she seems you."

"She's naturally clumsy," Lupin said in Tonks' defence.

"Not that clumsy," Sirius shot back.

Lupin paused. Was Sirius correct? Did Tonks fancy him and he hadn't realised it? When she accidentally kissed him last month, Tonks didn't pull back straight away. And, a few days ago when he kissed her, she had smiled at him. He closed his eyes, thunderstruck, only to open them again at Sirius' laughter.

"You really are thick, aren't you?"

"Sod off, Padfoot."

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Sirius asked eagerly.

Lupin sighed. "I have no bloody idea."


	3. Part Three

Rating, Summary, and Disclaimer: See Part One

Author's Note: Part Two was becoming this HUGE monster, so I split it off. Going off a bit of angst here (as you could tell at the end of two). It starts off rather gloomy, but there is a ray of sunshine at the end.

I'm sorry it too so long to get this up. I got ch6 back of "HP and the Hunt" from the beta, so I had to do that. This is unbeta'ed 'cause I think you waited long enough! If it's REALLY bad, tell me to pull it! Also, I'm not quite sure about the ending...

Part Three: The Big Event

Lupin was in a quandary: he wasn't quiet sure how to approach Tonks. He was positive that she fancied him back. It had been years since he had played The Dating Game; the rules had changed dramatically. Sirius, his supposed best friend, seemed to be enjoying his dilemma a tad too much, taking the mickey out of him whenever he could.

Tonks was supposed visit on Christmas Day and go with everyone to visit Arthur. But she had yet another emergency that called her into the office. She Floo'ed right before lunch to let them know that she wasn't able to go because she was heading right off to her parents when she was done.

"Wonder if the owner even knows that their car's missing," Sirius whispered into Lupin's ear when Mundungus Fletcher turned up with a "borrowed" car to drive everyone to the hospital since the Underground wasn't running.

"Probably not," Lupin muttered back. They watched Molly debate taking the car, her children pleading with her, and fought hard not to laugh aloud.

"Caught another day to figure out what to do about Tonks, you lucky dog. Oh! Looks like you're taking the car after all."

"You're the dog actually," Lupin shot back as he exited the house and climbed into the car. He chuckled to himself at the look on Sirius' face as the door closed and Grimmauld Place magically disappeared.

The trip to St Mungos was uneventful. Everyone cleared out as Molly realized that Arthur and a Healer had been experimenting with Muggle remedies. The children ran off the tearoom and Lupin took himself over to the new werewolf that Molly had told him about. The poor bloke had been gazing wistfully over towards the crowd around Arthur's bed.

"Happy Christmas," Lupin told him as he took the seat next to the bed.

"The hell it is," the man replied bitterly. "Better clear off, I'm a dangerous werewolf, just to let you know."

"I know. My name is Remus Lupin." He knew the exact moment the man realized who he was.

"Michael Smithe. So…you're the bloke that Weasley knows. Says he can live an almost normal life. Ha! My life'll never be the same again."

"Well, no," Lupin told him. "The transformations take a while to get used to, but with the Wolfs-"

"That's not what I meant!" Smithe snapped. "My…wife, today of all days, stopped by to tell me she's filed for divorce. She hasn't spoken to me ever since I woke up here a fortnight ago."

Lupin was silent. Unlike the Muggle world, divorce was very, very rare in the wizarding world. They were granted only under extenuating circumstances, such as your spouse becoming a werewolf.

"Think I can still live a normal life now?" Smithe asked nastily. "What kind of woman's going to want to live with us?" He went back to staring moodily at the ceiling and ignored Lupin. There was high suicide rate among werewolves that were bitten when they were older, mainly due to broken marriages and families and lost jobs. Lupin dreaded that Smithe was going to be one of those statistics.

_What kind of woman indeed?_ Lupin found himself thinking on the car ride home. In a way, he had been lucky being bitten as a child. Growing up a werewolf, he never knew the other side of life. The side where you got a job, got married, and had children. That avenue had never been open to him.

Lupin was fortunate that Dumbledore, eccentric as he was, had allowed him to study at Hogwarts. He was privileged that he had good friends that saw past his lycanthropy, to the man beneath. But would Tonks be willing to deal with all the baggage that came with dating a werewolf?

The rest of Christmas holidays passed in a blur for him. After Christmas Day, Sirius' happiness began to dissipate. It seemed that a gloom had settled over Grimmauld Place and all its occupants, so no one questioned Lupin's sullenness.

Tonks arrived the morning that the children were to go back to Hogwarts, a bright ray of sunshine attempting to penetrate the blackness that had descended on the House of Black. She practically bounced into the kitchen, her grin widening as she spotted Lupin alone at the table.

"Wotcher Remus!" she said, sliding into the chair next to him and helping herself to some of his potatoes. "How have you been? It's been so hectic at the office over the holidays, then having to see Mum and Dad, and a get-together with a bunch of my Hogwarts mates. I feel bad that I haven't stopped by more often. Oh…I left your present in the drawing room," she paused from chattering at him to look at him. "Remus, are you all right?" Tonks asked, laying a hand on his arm.

"I'm fine, Tonks," he said woodenly. "Thank you for asking."

She arched a pink eyebrow at him, probably over his use of her surname. "You don't seem fine."

"I'm fine," Lupin all but whispered.

Tonks started to say something, but at that moment Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the kitchen. Breakfast was a quick affair (Tonks morphed into an old woman right before his eyes in the corridor) and they had the children loaded onto the Knight Bus and back at school.

After watching to make sure that that everyone was safely inside Howarts' confines, Tonks turned to him and demanded, mid-morph, "What's wrong, Remus?"

"Nothing," he said a tad too quickly. Lupin knew she didn't believe him because she arched another eyebrow at him.

"We're going back to my flat and we're going to discuss this. That is what friends do. I'll see you there." In a blink of an eye, Tonks had Disapparated. Sighing to himself, and knowing she'd come looking for him if he didn't appear soon, Lupin Disapparated.

She was waiting for him in the mews. "Intelligent man, Remus," Tonks said by way of greeting. My flat's on the fifth floor, no lift."

Slightly panting, they finally made it to her flat. Tapping the door with her wand, it opened and Tonks waved him in with a "Welcome to my humble abode."

Lupin looked around. The flat was small, but impeccably tidy. Spying a hook, he took off his cloak and hung it. Turning around, Tonks was holding out her cherry-red cloak to him to hang.

"Thanks," she grinned. "Would you like hot chocolate or tea?"

"Tea, please."

He wandered into the living room, noting the fireplace, the large padded window seat, and the wireless. But the thing that caught his eye was the huge bookshelves that took up an entire wall. Skimming the titles, Lupin noted that they were as diverse as their owner's morphs: defence books and Auror manuals, Hogwarts schoolbooks, Astronomy books, Quidditch books, Healing books, and, to his astonishment, a large number of books on Dark Creatures, specifically, werewolves. Before he could process what that meant, Tonks calling his name penetrated his brain.

"Remus, are you listening?" she repeated. "I'm going to need some help here." Tonks was taking small baby steps, attempting to balance a tray with two mugs of tea and a plate of biscuits perched precariously on it.

He rushed over to relieve her of the tray. Placing it down on the coffee table, Lupin sat down on the couch. Tonks pointed her wand at the fireplace and instantly there was a roaring fire. "Wireless?" she asked, pointing her wand at it next.

"Very low," he responded, taking a sip of his tea. It was perfect. She had noted how he took his tea (milk and five sugars), which he took as another sign. Tonks finally settled on some Weird Sisters-like music, and settled next to him on the couch.

"So, and don't say nothing, what's wrong?"

"The truth?" he asked, taking another sip.

"Yes."

"You're sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Everything?"

"Remus!"

"All right then." Lupin smirked at the exasperated look on her face. "Get comfortable, this goes all the way back to my childhood." Tonks arched an eyebrow, but did snuggle into the cushions, cradling her cup of tea. "Are you sure you should be doing that?"

"Remus!" It was growled out as a warning.

"Okay. Here we go. I've never done this before for a woman: laying everything out there. All right." He cleared his throat. It was all or nothing. "I was bitten when I was six. My father spoke out in favour of werewolf laws, and, as retribution, Fenrir Greyback bit me. My father was horrified: his only child was now a werewolf. I managed to survive my bite, now looking back on it I think Greyback bit me only enough to turn me, he didn't loose control, he meant for me to survive." Tonks shifted, but remained silent. "You know the Hogwarts years, you know about all the marauding we did, you know why Snape hates Sirius and I," he paused and she nodded.

"Seven months ago, I had a witch tumble headfirst into…well, you know where you went," Lupin paused again and they both grinned over the memory of their first meeting. "From the very beginning, I was interested," he continued on, pretending he didn't hear Tonks' quiet gasp of shock. "She accidentally kissed me one time and, I, in turn, kissed her on purpose. Then, an unnamed source," Tonks grinned, "opened my eyes that this witch might fancy me as well. So, I racked my brain over how to approach her. I'm quiet a few years older than her and have been out of the Dating Game for a bit-"

"Twelve years isn't that bad an age gap, Remus," Tonks interrupted. "I have not problems with it."

Lupin smiled, and then continued. "But then I went to St Mungos to visit Arthur. There I spoke to a man who had just been bitten a fortnight prior. It seemed that on Christmas Day, of all days, his wife announced she was divorcing him." Tonks let out another gasp, this one of outrage. "And he pointed out to me, how do werewolves have normal lives? We're not normal." She frowned, but he continued on. "By law, I'm not allowed to have a job. I have about 30 Gallons in my Gringott's vault. How am I supposed to support a family? I turn into a dangerous beast once a month-"

"Remus," Tonks interrupted gently, sitting up and setting her cup of tea down on the coffee table. "I know all this, and I still fancy you."

"Yes, I know that. But do you really comprehend what dating a werewolf would be like? What will your parents say…your friends?"

She took his hands in hers. "I understand what it entails. I understand everything. But all I want right now is the chance to know you better. Maybe a date. I'm hoping for some more kisses…"

"I just don't know."

"Let's take this one day at a time, all right? We'll see where it goes."

Lupin really wanted to jump up and shout, "Yes", but his brain overruled his heart. He had to protect her; Tonks really had no idea what dating him would do to her. And, he admitted to himself, he had to protect himself. He couldn't get involved with her and risk heartbreak if she dumped him when she eventually came to her senses.

"I figured we'd be good together," Tonks said. "I understand what its like to be outcast sometimes. I'm a fully licensed Auror and I still get looks from people like Umbridge and her crowd if I'm not morphed to their standards."

"It's not the same, Nymphadora."

"I've been shunted aside for missions, not because I'm too inexperienced, but because I'm a Metamorphmagus. Why send another Auror that graduated Training with me off to do a mission where he has to rely on Polyjuice Potion and I don't?"

"They really did that to you?" He was shocked.

"Yeah, they did. Listen, if you don't want to try, I suppose we can be just friends."

Without reason, without thinking, he leaned in and kissed her. Lupin planned on another chaste kiss to seal their friendship, but when Tonks opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, his heart won out over his head and he followed her lead.

It was like coming home. Out all the kisses he had ever given or received, this was the most powerful, the most passionate one ever. Lupin had heard about soul mates, about how two people just click instantly, like they were one. He had been sceptical at best about their existence…until he met Tonks.

The kiss, or one of several, he wasn't sure, finally ended. They both pulled back and just looked at each other. "Wow," she whispered, holding her fingers to her lips.

"Yeah," he replied, raking a hand through his greying hair. This kiss just sealed what he was already both suspecting and dreading: Tonks was his soul mate.

"We going to be just mates then?" she asked, a small smile playing about her lips.

He answered her with another kiss.


End file.
